March 2019

A group of Alfred State and Alfred University students within the Newman Club made a positive impact on a neighborhood in need recently during a weekend service trip to Harrisburg, PA.

Throughout the weekend of Feb. 16-17, the group worked in conjunction with Wildheart Ministries in its “Love the Hill” inner-city initiative for one of Harrisburg’s most needy neighborhoods, Allison Hill. On Saturday of the trip, the group provided community cleanup, worked to restore buildings in need of repair, and cleaned vacant lots, according to Chris Yarnal, campus minister.

“We also participated in food distribution to the needy in the neighborhood,” Yarnal said. “On Sunday, we worked with the Shalom House, a women and children emergency shelter, on various projects around the House.”

The Newman Club serves both Alfred State and Alfred University campuses, providing students with a fun environment for personal, spiritual, and social growth rooted in the Catholic faith. The club exists to develop a sense of community among all different types of students, as well as serve the surrounding community.

In addition to Yarnal, those who attended the trip included Cassandra Tkaczow, assistant campus minister; Alfred State students Jacob Minkel, mechanical engineering technology, Attica; Kelly Guillon, business administration, New York City; and Vicky Pham, engineering science, Rochester; and Alfred University students Roeshawn Daniels, Sam Gomez, Shannon Ortega, Andrew Adams, and Andrew King.

While they helped make a difference in the lives of those in need, the students themselves noted their experiences on the trip had a big impact on them, as well.

Minkel said of the trip, “It made me more grateful for my family and the life I have been given.”

Daniels said, “It really opened my eyes to the poverty that exists in our area of the country.”

From chew toys, to blankets, to treats, and much more, Alfred State College recently collected many different items for local animal shelters in need of food and supplies.

Last month, Jennifer Chiaino, a dispatcher with the State University Police at Alfred State, saw a news story about a local shelter that had taken in a large number of endangered pets.

Items collected for local animal shelters during a recent food and supply drive.

Chiaino wanted to do something to help, so she began to look around Alfred State for people and organizations who would be interested in partnering with her and the Police Department to do what they could to help. She quickly found three partners: Agriculture and Veterinary Technology Assistant Professor Kathleen Bliss’ students, the Psi Delta Omega fraternity, and the Office of Civic Engagement.

“These students really jumped at the chance to help, be present, spread the word, and keep this campaign in the public eye, and it made all the difference in the world,” said Chiaino.

Titled “Share the Love,” the food and supply drive was designed to collect food, supplies, toys, and funds that are desperately needed by local shelters for the animals in their care. The groups and individuals involved publicized the event using social media and posters around campus.

Additionally, volunteers staffed tables and accepted donations for three days in the Student Leadership Center. At times, they had help from some very friendly dogs from the SPCA who were on-hand to interact with students.

Chiaino noted, “It felt great to see so many items being delivered to these local shelters. Animals are innocent, they cannot provide for themselves, so I believe that we are charged with the responsibility to do what we can for them.”

A group of Pioneer athletes stepped up in a big way recently in order to help make a fellow competitor’s dream come true.

After competing in their scheduled ECAC Championship events on Friday, five members of the Alfred State women’s indoor track and field team found out that the women’s 1-mile run on Saturday was going to be canceled due to lack of qualifiers in the event. This meant that fellow competitor Grace Galligan of Franciscan University would not be able to compete in her signature event, which she needed in order to qualify for the NCAA’s.

As a result, the five ASC student athletes, Veronica Dailey, Katherine Frascella, Emily Brigman, Marissa Sly, and Julia Yanarella, stepped up to compete on Saturday so that Galligan could partake in the race, which she ended up winning.

The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., annually provides $10,000 to Alfred State students through its work-grant program, allowing students who are ineligible for Federal College Work-Study funds to find employment on campus. The grant is renewable on an annual basis.

Additionally, departments within Alfred State can request student workers with specific skills and the work-grant coordinator attempts to meet those needs with appropriate student assistance.

Students funded through the Ed Foundation to work in specific areas on campus are considered “regular” employees of the college and are expected to maintain the level of professionalism required of their colleagues.

Currently for the 2018-2019 award year, four students were able to find employment with the offices of Athletics; Health and Wellness Services; and International Affairs through the work-grant program. The program provides students with employment opportunities, and campus offices with student personnel who have specialized talents.

The program is administered through the Student Records and Financial Services Office.

The Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., is a private foundation representing faculty, staff, and friends of Alfred State dedicated to improving the college community through the support of educational programs. The activities pursued by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., are governed by a board of directors made up of representatives from each of the following groups: alumni, College Council, faculty and staff, and friends of the college.

The Foundation provides monetary support to enhance learning opportunities for students through scholarships, work grants, and community service projects. The Ed Foundation also funds the Building Trades programs’ hands-on home construction projects.

Additionally, the Foundation owns and maintains the School of Applied Technology campus in Wellsville. The 22-acre parcel consists of more than 20 buildings with over 700 students enrolled in 14 programs. The programs, which stress “learning by doing,” incorporate traditional classroom experience with comprehensive “on-the-job” laboratory experiences.

Since 1966, the Foundation has invested more than $8 million in improvements on the campus.

Alfred State College is pleased to announce that it has been designated a “Voter Friendly Campus.”

The initiative, led by national nonpartisan organizations Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register and vote in the 2018 elections and in the coming years. The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process.

Alfred State was evaluated based on a campus political engagement plan developed through student leadership and professional support within the Center for Civic Engagement. The campus plan highlighted how student voters were engaged, outlined democratic engagement efforts, and provided a final analysis of the effort. These efforts focused on voter registration, voter education, and getting out the vote.

Political engagement efforts featured collaboration with student government, student organizations, departments across the college, and external partners such as the Board of Elections and the League of Women Voters. Specific initiatives included voter registration efforts during New Student Orientation, debate parties in the residence halls, and creative outreach to disseminate non-partisan voter guides. On Election Day, chalked footprints guided students on the short walk from campus to the polling station.

According to Jonathan Hilsher, director of Civic Engagement, “This designation is an extension of Alfred State’s focus on preparing involved students for successful careers and purposeful lives. Alfred State will continue promoting this initiative that supports student civic leadership and informed, active community engagement.”

More than 950 high school students from Region I Board of Cooperative Education and Services (BOCES) districts, encompassing Western New York and the Southern Tier, competed in the 30th annual SkillsUSA Region I Leadership Conference and Skills Olympics March 5 at Alfred State.

The winners of this regional competition will advance to the next level in Syracuse in April, where all six regions in New York State will meet to attempt to qualify for the national competition in Louisville, KY, in June. A postsecondary SkillsUSA state competition will also take place on the Wellsville campus on Saturday, March 23.

Skills tests ranged from criminal justice to TV/video production to public speaking. Alfred State faculty, staff, and students were heavily involved in the design, implementation, and judging of many of the contests. Many of the high school students were exposed to a college campus for the first time.

Jason Johnson, a 2000 heavy equipment, truck and diesel technician program graduate and president of the New York Head Mechanics Association, was recently featured in an article by School Bus Fleet Magazine.

As foreshadowed in the beginning of the article, Johnson “talks about helping mechanics troubleshoot problems together, working to mitigate a mechanic shortage statewide, and the team effort involved in running the association.” Johnson is an equipment service manager at Horseheads Central School District.

The Alfred State Archery Team had a dominant performance in Syracuse this past weekend while competing in the ASA Winter Can Am Classic.

After two rounds of qualifying (20 arrows each round), an initial cut left the top 16 in each class competing on Sunday morning. The top five from each class then shot in the Pressure Point Shootdown, where each archer shoots a final sequence in front of the assembled crowd.

Jacob Patanella, a mechanical engineering technology major from Churchville, won the championship in the fixed pins class and received a champions jersey, a new bow, and several other prizes. Senior Josh Harp, surveying and geomatics engineering technology, Farmington, finished third in the men’s Known 50 (shooting at targets as far as 50 yards away). First-year student Nathan Summerville, mechanical engineering technology, Fulton, took third place in the men’s Known 40 (targets out to 40 yards).

Jacob Patanella, an Alfred State mechanical engineering technology major
from Churchville, center, won the championship in the fixed pins class last
weekend at the ASA Winter Can Am Classic in Syracuse.

On Saturday night, the eve before the eliminations, the top scoring leaders for each of the five classes from both the United States and Canada competed in a shootoff that pitted the top American versus Canadian shooters. Patanella represented the American team in the fixed pins class and was on the winning side. The American team’s names are permanently added to the trophy that is contested each year at the event.

Coach Greg Sammons (Level 3-NTS) was proud of the team, noting that the three podium finishes “reached beyond the archers’ original goals and now established a new horizon line for the Pioneers.”

“The podium finishes were performed under the gaze and associated pressure of shootoff conditions in front of a crowd,” Sammons said. “This is priceless experience for the events to come.”

The event was broadcast live by Competition Archery Media (CAM), and streaming coverage remains accessible on CAM’s sites.

Promoting civil, empathetic, and respectful communication is the primary goal of Alfred State College’s new Best Foot Forward campaign.

This initiative invites students and employees to take the 10-point Best Foot Forward Civility Pledge and become a positive force for the college by speaking up whenever they view acts of incivility on campus, and by serving as a role model for others to follow. Civility is one of Alfred State’s core principles, and respect is a core value at the college.

Dr. Gregory Sammons, vice president for Student Affairs, said, “The Best Foot Forward initiative is a movement aimed at calling attention to the truth that our words and actions reflect on us as both individuals and members of a shared campus identity. We have a group of student, faculty, and staff influencers who are visibly rolling out this message across the campus. We advocate that putting our best foot forward happens when being intentional about the time and place for our own statements and presentation.”

Sammons noted that unchecked divisive and crass speech only serves to encourage more divisive and crass behaviors.

“We want to be part of a much-needed solution to the challenges facing communities within higher education and throughout the country,” he said. “We believe that can happen by doing the seemingly smallest things the right way.”

To help lead the program, nearly 50 student leaders and select faculty and staff were chosen through a nomination process as positive influencers. These students and employees exhibit the characteristics of respect, civility, and other ideal behaviors.

Tasha Steinhauser, a digital media and animation major from Highland Mills,
displays the shirt she received for being chosen as one of the positive influencers
who will help lead Alfred State’s Best Foot Forward campaign.

Recently, Sammons, ASC President Dr. Skip Sullivan, and student government leaders met with the influencers to discuss the campaign. Influencers were also given a campaign T-shirt bearing the Best Foot Forward logo on the front, as well as one of a variety of phrases that capture the spirit of the initiative on the back of the shirt.

Sullivan noted that people judge you by your words and your actions, which is why putting your best foot forward is critical for establishing the way people view you. Speaking to what he can do to put his own best foot forward, Sullivan noted he can model the behavior he wants others to imitate.

“Modeling good behavior, doing what’s right, and considering other people are very important,” he said.

To help spread the word about Best Foot Forward, posters containing information on the pledge, as well as quotations from historical figures, are being placed around both the Alfred and Wellsville campuses. Additionally, several on-campus events are currently being planned to help promote the campaign, including:

Warm Hearts – Join Health and Wellness Services as they warm hearts from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 in the Student Leadership Center (SLC) Park Space. Students and staff are welcome to spread warm uplifting messages to themselves and others.

Kindness Chain – Health and Wellness invites the campus community to participate in a chain of kindness from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 11 in the SLC Park Space. Come to the SLC and take a link of the chain home with you. Each link has a random act of kindness written on it. Alfred State challenges students to complete their act of kindness before the end of the week and share photos on social media using #ASCkindnesschain.

Kindness Rocks – It started with a rock. Now it’s a movement bringing messages of hope worldwide. The idea is simple: paint inspirational messages on rocks and randomly leave them across a community for others to find. You can keep the rock or share it! It’s a great way to honor the earth on Earth Day, Monday, April 22, from 7-8 p.m. in the SLC Park Space.

Starting on Tuesday, April 2, from 4:30-6p.m., Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus Joe Flynn will once again hold the first of five planned Tuesday evening reading and discussion sessions concentrating on James Baldwin's America. Professor Flynn introduced courses in Black American Literature more than four decades ago and remains an active scholar in that field.

During his first term as President of the SUNY System University Faculty Senate, Joe nominated James Baldwin for a special honorary degree awarded by the SUNY Trustees in conjunction with the annual convocation of SUNY Distinguished Professors. To enhance this event and to highlight the life and genius of Baldwin, Joe, with the support of six related SUNY groups, then organized and chaired one of the nation’s earliest Black Studies - Women's Studies Symposium on the SUNY Albany campus. This was at a time when the fate of those two academic fields were felt to be in jeopardy around the nation.

This event featured outstanding writers and scholars from the Northeast including Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, Feminist Press Editor Florence Howe, Kitchen Table - Women of Color Press Editor Barbara Smith, the late Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones) and recently passed Baldwin scholar John (Tim) Reilly. All of these lead participants, including Baldwin, came for transportation and lodging costs. None requested or received any speaking fees.

This year’s Baldwin program is again funded by Manhattan-based Humanities NY, the state subdivision of the National Endowment of the Humanities. The project director for this effort is Dr. Daniel Katz, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Alfred State College. This year’s Reading and Discussion Group also enjoys the support of the Center of Civic Engagement, the Departments of English and Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Student Affairs Division.

For the second year running, interested adult readers from the greater Alfred area who appreciate lively conversations about great writers and their influence on our times are encouraged to apply. Two volumes of Baldwin's writings are now available and will be loaned at no charge. Our group of no more than a dozen collaborators will enjoy one another and be served healthy refreshments. If you wish to join us, please call or email Mary Hoffman, Secretary, ASC School of Arts and Sciences, at 608-587-3621 or hoffmamp@alfredstate.edu.